Tobacco cessation is defined as continuous behavior which elicits physiological and psychological addiction among those using it. The active part of tobacco which is responsible for addiction is known as nicotine. Smoking cigarette is the major cause of preventable deaths not just in the United States but in the whole world. The mortality rate amongst the smoking population is three times more than the people who do not smoke. Smoking harms almost every organ of the body and destroys the overall health of an individual. This paper aims at discussing the effects of smoking cigarettes, treatment methods and the strategies for education programs that can be used to prevent cigarette smoking.
Effects of Cigarette Smoking
Causes of Cancer
The main avoidable cause of cancer-related deaths is smoking. Gene mutations and DNA damage result from carcinogens which are found in cigarette smoke which bind to human DNA ( Marcilla, Beltrán, Gómez-Siurana, Martínez&Berenguer, (4). It is because of these genetic changes which cause the cell to grow uncontrollably and spread which later results to cancer. There are different types of cancers that are caused by smoking with the main one being lung cancer. Other cancers which result from smoking are neck, bladder, rectum, cervix, esophagus, liver and colon.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Cardiovascular Disease
Smoking also causes cardiovascular disease which has the following mechanisms; prothrombotic effects, endothelial dysfunction, low supply of myocardial blood and oxygen, high demand for myocardial oxygen and blood, inflammation and insulin resistance. Smoking directly or indirectly is the main causes of stroke, coronary heart disease, aortic aneurysm, and peripheral arterial disease. According to medics, most deaths related to cardiovascular disease are caused by smoking cigarette.
Respiratory Disease
Cigarette smoking is the major cause of chronic pulmonary disease. Mechanisms associated with the disease include mucous gland hyperplasia, loss of cilia in the lungs and overall inflammation which makes the lungs to function abnormally.
Smoking is one of the main causes of preventable deaths not just in the United States but in the whole world. Tobacco use is common in people with psychiatric disorders. There are several treatment ways for tobacco addicts. The methods include pharmacologic and behavioral treatment methods for smoking cessation. Behavioral treatment methods include counseling by physicians. The pharmacologic methods include varenicline and bupropion. Studies have found that smokers who receive both cessation and behavioral treatment quit smoking faster than those who do not receive the intervention or even those who receive minimal intervention. As stated by Arrazola et al., (1), studies have also shown that intervention methods like advice from care workers, text messages, telephone helplines, as well as printed help materials also help in enabling smoking prevention. It is important for the treatment methods to be made personal since some people get into the smoking habit to avoid the negative withdrawal effect while others smoke because of the rewarding effects.
Treatment Standards for Tobacco Use
Behavioral Treatment
Behavioral counseling can be given by specialists for five to ten sessions. This can be provided either by telephone or in person. There are several approaches to counseling on smoking cessation.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
This method helps cigarette addicts to identify the smoking triggers including the spaces, people, and general things which make them smoke. After these triggers are identified, they are taught about the prevention skills and what they can do in the face of these challenges or whenever they are faced by the urge to smoke. Health education helps in reducing dependence on nicotine.
Motivational Interviewing
This method helps tobacco addicts to find ways of exploring and resolving their ambivalence to quit smoking and advance their motivation for healthy changes. Arrazola et al., (1) affirm that this method is patient nonconfrontation and focuses on the patient, providing the discrepancies between the values or goals of the patients and the behaviors. Patients using this method adjust the resistance to change supporting optimism and self-efficacy. Research suggests that the intervention leads to higher rates of quitting than the usual care or the normal advice of stopping smoking.
Mindfulness
According to Kruger, O’Halloran, Rosenthal, Babb & Fiore (3), this method of smoking cessation treatment enables patients to learn on ways of increasing awareness about the cravings and thoughts that cause a relapse. In this method, patients learn of techniques which make them be tolerant of luring emotions such as cravings and stress without getting back to tobacco use or other unhealthy behaviors. Studies have proven that this method increases the general mental health and can assist them in preventing relapse. Even so, it is important to note that this method needs a properly controlled clinical trial.
Medications
Nicotine Replacement
There are several formulations of Nicotine replacement which are available including lozenges, and patch. These options are effective for cessation treatment. Selby et al. (5) discuss that most people prefer this method during their first days of withdrawal.NRT helps in improving the smoking cessation effects and making behavioral therapies to increase quit rates. Studies have found that NRT increases the rates of quitting, cravings and withdrawals.
Bupropion
This medication was originally taken as an antidepressant. The medication inhibits the uptake of brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine and to stimulate their release. Studies have found bupropion to increase the rates of quitting smoking as compared to placebo.
Varenicline
This helps in reducing cravings in nicotine by stimulating receptor though at a lesser level than nicotine. Varenicline also helps in boosting the odds of quitting. For primary care, varenicline together with counseling can help in boosting quitting more than unassisted methods.
Strategies for Educating Patients
There are several educational strategies that can be used in teaching about prevention of tobacco use. This includes school-based education programs and community-based programs. School-based programs involve introducing preventive programs in the curriculum teaching students about the risks involved in smoking and the health dangers involved in smoking. Dietz, Douglas &Brownson (2) assert that using arts in form of painting, music, spoken words can also help in creating awareness about the dangers of smoking and the long-term effect of tobacco use. Through the community education programs, there can be testimonials about people who have successfully quit smoking teaching people on the measures they should take to quit the act.
References
1. Arrazola, R. A., Singh, T., Corey, C. G., Husten, C. G., Neff, L. J., Apelberg, B. J., ... & McAfee, T. (2015). Tobacco use among middle and high school students-United States, 2011-2014. MMWR.Morbidity and mortality weekly report , 64 (14), 381-385. https://europepmc.org/articles/pmc5779546
2. Dietz, W. H., Douglas, C. E., &Brownson, R. C. (2016). Chronic disease prevention: tobacco avoidance, physical activity, and nutrition for a healthy start. Jama , 316 (16), 1645-1646. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2556015?utm_campaign=articlePDF&utm_medium=articlePDFlink&utm_source=articlePDF&utm_content=jama.2016.14370+https%3a%2f%2fnam.edu%2fchronic-disease-prevention-tobacco-physical-activity-and-nutrition-for-a-healthy-start-a-vital-direction-for-health-and-health-care%2f
3. Kruger, J., O’Halloran, A., Rosenthal, A. C., Babb, S. D., & Fiore, M. C. (2016). Receipt of evidence-based brief cessation interventions by health professionals and use of cessation assisted treatments among current adult cigarette-only smokers: National Adult Tobacco Survey, 2009–2010. BMC public health , 16 (1), 141. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-2798-2
4. Marcilla, A., Beltrán, M. I., Gómez-Siurana, A., MartínezCastellanos, I., &Berenguer Muñoz, D. (2015). Effect of the Amount of Tobacco per Cigarette on Smoke Composition when Smoking 3R4F Reference Tobacco and a Commercial Tobacco Brand with and without a Catalysthttp://rua.ua.es/dspace/handle/10045/57958
5. Selby, P., Goncharenko, K., Barker, M., Fahim, M., Timothy, V., Dragonetti, R., ...& Hays, J. T. (2015). Review and evaluation of online tobacco dependence treatment training programs for health care practitioners. Journal of medical Internet research , 17 (4).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4417133/
